Couldn't help but notice a handful of change in the bottom of the urinal during a pit stop the other day. My question is this: what would have to be down there to make it worth while to fish it out?
A wheat?
Indian head?
VDB on the reverse?
How about a 31-S?
When I worked at Enrico Fermi II Atomic Power Plant 81-83, we were a multi-national engineering group. Not all of our staff would sit on a toilet seat, they'd squat on it instead. We suffered many broken seats and their aim wasn't always good. Not many of us enjoyed the experience.
But, then we started throwing change in the urinals, and it would often amount to a tempting scattering of cash down there. I know I always made a point to aim at that pile, and I confess there were a couple times I was tempted to grab it myself. Then it would always disappear before I jumped in.
So we were urinal hunting in the early 80's, and danged I never scored except in target practice.
It's a mental thing for sure. The coins we handle, door knobs, etc, are probably just as dirty as the urinal. But it's a BIG mental thing for me. If the coin was still there after flushing, I'd probably go in for a piece of silver but not copper or clad.
yes it's 99% mental. every coin and even more so, every bill has a chance to carry something. Especially those 100 year old Wrinkled & Stained horse Blanket Bills from the days of Infectious Diseases .
yet just about everyone with a curiosity would Pick this up from the Sidewalk
with their bare hands , on their way into KFC
and Order some finger Lickin' good Chicken.
add to that digging in the dirt with our hands,
getting dirt in our cuts to stop the bleeding.
yes some wear gloves, Use Hand Sanitizers like Purell,
and wash their hands 20 times a day to prevent diseases,
and inadvertently prevent creating antibodies to all the creepie-crawlers out there.
those people need to worry.
but what I think is the majority, who do not fear the environment they live in
would be safe reaching in and pulling those coins out the urinal,
or even the neck of the toilet bowl. even with cuts.
besides a Clorox rinse is always available to me when I get home.
even if I stop at KFC in-between
Reminded me of something a guy did when I worked at a lumber yard. He tore the corner off of a $20 bill and set it under a stack of garage doors by lifting the stack with a fork lift. No way could anyone remove the $20 without tearing it. Was fun to watch the attempts...